FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF A FLURBIPROFEN MICROSPHERE GEL FOR TOPICAL DELIVERY: A POTENTIAL APPROACH FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to formulate and evaluate a flurbiprofen-loaded microsphere gel for sustained topical delivery in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Flurbiprofen microspheres were prepared by the solvent evaporation method using ethyl cellulose as polymer and polyvinyl alcohol as stabilizer. A Box-Behnken Design was employed to optimize the influence of formulation variables on particle size, entrapment efficiency and drug release. The prepared microspheres showed particle size in the range of 34.9-47.1 µm, entrapment efficiency of 70.1-89.6% and drug release of 69.2-87.3%. The optimized formulation exhibited particle size of 35.6 ±1.08 µm, entrapment efficiency of 89.6 ± 0.81% and cumulative drug release of 87.3 ± 0.70%. The optimized microspheres were incorporated into Carbopol® 940 gel, which showed satisfactory physicochemical characteristics and remained stable for 90 days under ambient and accelerated conditions. In carrageenan-induced paw edema, the optimized gel showed 20.62% inhibition at 90 min, indicating significant anti-inflammatory activity and potential for sustained topical management of rheumatoid arthritis.